To Look Within
by OjOrangejuiceofthewild
Summary: Naruto, was the boys name who had seemingly lost everything. By the mere age of ten his mischievous blue sparkling eyes had been replaced with dull lifeless ones. How will an obnoxious suicidal brunette, a bookworm, and a cute black haired girl help him unravel the secrets that have tangled his life, and help him search within himself the humanity that he had lost as a child.
1. A Fresh Start

Dull lifeless blue eyes opened themselves to the rays of sunshine that made it into the alley he was resting in. A child who looked no more than ten was extremely malnourished with hair that seemed to be kissed by the sun itself, groggily lifted himself up. He was wearing nothing but rags with dirt all over his exposed skin, and three whisker like mark scars on both of his cheeks.

The noises of horses trotting and cart wheels pushing against the ground caught the boys attention. Slowly revealing himself to the sun, he looked on ahead at the commotion.

Bandaged and bruised men walked in shame through the streets of Shiganshina. Green capes with the wings of freedom on their back.

"Another failure"

"Why do we even spend taxes on them"

"Just losing more and more people for nothing"

Were the plenty of insults hushed through the crowd, but as loud as thunder.

The blond boy looked at them with the same lifeless look. One of the scouts seemed to take notice of his presence. Stopping in his tracks and looking at the malnourished child a brief pause ensured. He kneeled down and motioned for the child to come closer.

Reluctantly the blond took one step at a time in case of deception.

The soldier took his skeletal hand with one arm as he rummaged in his pockets with his other. Taking something out of it; he placed it into the child's hand with a smile.

"Use this to get some food… I know I won't be needing it" the man spoke warmly with a friendly smile.

However, the boy didn't notice it as he stared down at what was in the palm of his hand. A pouch of coins.

The boy looked up and just like he had rehearsed so many times, gave the man a bright foxy smile.

"Thank you mister!" he yelled with such overwhelmed joy the soldier couldn't help but get a warm feeling inside his stomach.

"Anytime kid! Us scouts will always protect the innocent!" he yelled passionately.

Taking in his surroundings he realized he was receiving nothing but glares and whispers about his nonlachantness. Especially because of who he was talking too.

Naruto.

The so called demon of humans.

"To think he's interacting with that child"

"Such insolence"

"Honestly they can kill the kid and they'd get some of our praises"

Were some of the many snub remarks thrown at the boy and soldier. Clearly uncomfortable with the attention the adult left without giving the child a second glance.

However, Naruto still stood there. The same fake smile that if one was able to see his eyes could find a broken child.

A child without a home…

Family…

Friends…

Or even a hint of love…

He stood there. Grinning ear to ear as if everything was perfectly fine. Maybe he did feel happy that the man took pity on him. Or maybe it was the same mask that he wore when he wasn't alone.

Memories of when his smiles were sincere and genuine faded with time. A time long ago when he actually did have a home, a family, and was berated with love. The warm feeling of waking up to bed to be met with a mother and father patiently waiting for him.

Those memories were hazy, and the only clear one was the day he lost it all. He had awoken one day with a severe headache expecting the presence of his mother and father to be patiently waiting there, but the house was empty. No mom or dad waiting for him, no warm nostalgia of his mother cooking invading his nostrils, and no more memories that were made from passion and love.

That was the past, and now was now. He knew exactly what the soldier wanted. Giving an orphaned kid some of his money to boost his own reputation. It would have worked if he was any other kid.

Disappearing back into the alley, he rummaged through some garbage before finding what he was looking for. A necklace, with a green crystal shining brightly, with two beads next to it.

It was the only thing he had from those days. A gift from his parents on the last birthday they spent together…

Leaving the alley once more he made his way towards the market place. The merchants never let him buy anything, and if they did they clearly weren't from around here. Thus leading him to rely on stealing to survive. Leaving his body on autopilot, he seemingly gazed at nothing as he walked there. A shake in each of his step.

Turning the corner he was met face to face with three boys that knocked him down as wind would to a stray leaf. He showed no signs of pain or discomfort but laid there on the concrete floor for a while when two more pairs of footsteps ran over his body seemingly unaware of it.

Moving his head slightly he caught a glimpse of two kids he usually saw. One had brown hair with emerald eyes while the other was a cute girl with black hair and pools of darkness. Staring at the blue sky that mirrored his eyes made him wonder. Could they have been friends if his life wasn't like this? If his life was back to normal... If he had a life…

Questions plagued his mind as time passed him. Bystanders passing over him without a care in the world. Lifting himself up he progressed his way towards his destination. Some people say that it's about the journey not about the destination. That was a lie… a journey shouldn't be where with every step you want to collapse in on yourself. With ever stumble you fear, but at the same time, hope of breaking your fragile body. In hope of a release of this painful existence he called his life.

A thunderous and yellow flash appeared just outside the wall. Stopping all occupants of the Shiganshina district to stare in anticipation at the source of the noise.

In seconds a shadow of fear loomed over the citizens as a giant red hand, seemingly made out of all muscle with steam coming off it, gripped the wall; causing spider web like marks to appear. A grotesque head that seemed to match the hand in size followed along.

It was if a god himself came down to punish humanity for their sins.

But what was his sin? For existing? Was that why his mother and father disappeared?

The boy looked upon the 60 meter tall beast not in fear but curiosity. Was this it? Was this how his horrible life was to end? The noise of a thunderous bang followed through that matched the previous lightning strike. Massive rocks flew through the sky as children and adults alike ran for their lives.

He still stood there. Maybe this was why he was outcasted by everyone. He was different than all of them. Where one would normally run for their life as titans stormed their home, he stood there watching with blank eyes at the beasts with the sinister smiles ate the remains of his species.

Slowly turning around he started making his way towards the direction people were running in. Step by step he grew weaker and weaker. His vision started to fade due to malnourishment. Where he was once with a group of people running towards the docks, he was now all alone in a crumbling city.

Turning around slightly he was met with a titan who clearly had an interest of making him it's next meal. He stared at it with lifeless eyes as with it's every step his world shook around him. In seconds it was towering over the skeletal boy. Would the titan even think of him as a snack in the sorry state that he was in? Probably not.

The humanoid creature picked him up as it stared at him in hunger. Slowly licking its lips it moved the boy closer and closer to his mouth. Naruto shut his eyes in what looked to be fear while sweat danced down his face in nervousness. This was it.

A pair of footsteps resounded through his ears followed through the noise of blood gushing fiercely.

Opening his eyes he was met with his savior. He didn't look like he belonged in any of the regiments. In fact he wasn't even wearing 3D maneuvering gear, and instead of the normal swords the regiments used he was carrying what seemed to be a short sword. He had short, unkempt, raven hair with abyss like eyes. Very defined eyelashes that went upwards. His face looked rather feminine.

"You alright kid?" his savior asked as he extended his hand out for him.

Looking at it for a second he grabbed it before the man lifted him up with ease.

"Hop on" the man told him as he fell on one knee, clearly indicating him to get on his back. Putting his foot on the man's hand he than wrapped his arms around his neck with some difficulty.

"Hang on kid! I'm gonna get you on one of those boats" the man told him as he started running. The feeling of the child nodding was all he needed to pick up the pace.

Naruto was looking around at what was happening to the hellhole that he had been forced to live in. How ironic that now the citizens that once refused him food or any sort of sympathy were now being devoured in front of his very own eyes, and for some reason he felt nothing. No pity or any sort of gratification for their wrongdoings towards him.

Eventually they had caught up to the crowd that Naruto had lost. People surrounded the boats in panic in order to save their souls. The Garrison were only letting those with children on first. Luckily they had somehow managed to get in front of the line, and onboard without much of a problem. To say the boat was packed was an understatement. They were all crammed together like items in a box. Most didn't mind the discomfort due to being saved from the titan, but some were crying out of fear or out of loss of a loved one.

He sat there for what seemed to be an eternity with his savior. His knees curled up into his stomach while his arms layed around them. His savior sat next to him with closed eyes and heavy breaths. He still didn't even know the man's name.

"Anoue mister," Naruto started catching the man's attention. It was the first time the kid spoke to him, "what's your name?" he asked barely above a whisper but the ma heard it.

"Shisui, Uchiha Shisui. A pleasure to meet you…" Shisui trailed off at the clearly asking for his name.

In what seemed like forever the blond truly smiled with an extended hand, "Naruto, just Naruto."

"A pleasure to meet you Naruto!" Shisui chirped.

Nodding to him he started looking around for any familiar faces. Not that he knew any of these people on a personal level. His eyes eventually found their way on the two kids he saw before with a short blond kid with flat hair. They seemed to be looking at their hometown in distress.

Another thunderous crash resounded through the air. Perking his head towards the sound; he shuffled through the crowd to see what was happening. To many peoples horror, an armoured like titan could be found past the gate.

Wall Maria had been breached.

A small smirk replaced his blank emotionless face.

"They deserved it" he unknowingly blurted out.

It seemed to anger the green eyed boy that was next to him.

"What the hell did you just say!" the boy asked with his hand tightly gripping Naruto's 'clothing'.

Reverting back to his normal facade his smirk fell.

"Nothing" he replied.

The green eyed boy growled at the answer, with his fists only becoming tighter.

"Do you understand what just happened! Hundreds of people are going to die to those monsters! And you're happy about that?!"

Grabbing the boys hand lightly; he tried to move his hand off of his shirt, but the boy wouldn't budge.

"How about I throw you off the boat so we can actually get someone who appreciates human life!" the boy spat viciously. It was more of a threat than a question.

Placing his 'mask' on, Naruto smiled. Eyes closed with the biggest grin on his face, "Sorry about that, I didn't know what I even said before it was to late."

His fake show of sympathy didn't fool the boy. Somehow he seemed even angrier. He clocked his fist back in an obvious motion that he was about to knock the living daylights out of Naruto. He wasn't sure if it was the uncaring look he gave him or his comments but the green eyed boys eyebrows seemed to furrow in frustration.

Releasing his right it was stopped mid flight by two pale hands. One from his savior from before who caught the fist of the boy, and the other from the boys companion who was holding his shoulder rather roughly.

"This shouldn't be the time for fighting, Eren." the now identified green eyed boy seemed to scoff at his companions words before facing him again.

"If you say one more thing that pisses me off, I swear i'll throw you off this boat to see if you'll either die from drowning or from the titans", he spat venomously.

He received nothing but a blank look.

"Understood!"

Nodding ever so lightly the now identified 'Eren' released his grip on him. He made his way back to where he was previously sitting with Shisui right behind him.

Eren turned to glance at the boy one last time to make sure he wouldn't say anything. However, he just sat there completely still. Facing his hometown he couldn't believe what had happened. One second they were sitting by the river and the next he had witnessed his mother being eaten by a titan.

Shutting his eyes tightly memories of the horrors he had witnessed flashed through his brain. The colossal titan destroying the wall, his mother helplessly trapped under beam, and than finally the asshole blond kid that pissed him off.

Rage.

It was the only thing he felt. Rage for not being strong enough to save his mother, rage for the titan taking everything away from him, and rage for the cowards who believed that the walls had the answer for everything. It sparked a newfound resolve that would last for years; where his sheer will power alone would get him through the toughest of times.

'I'll kill them…'

"Eren?" his friends asked in worry of his mental state.

"I'll kill them all! I'll wipe every one of them off the face of this earth!" he yelled with tears rolling down his eyes and the fiercest glare seemingly staring at nothing.

If there was one thing he would regret, it would be not being able to spend enough time with his mother. He wouldn't let anyone disrespect her ever again. Glancing at the blond boy one last time he could faintly remember something his mother told him about the boy.

Naruto looked up seemingly unaware of the boy that was staring at him. Making eye contact with Eren, he could remember a memory he had with the boy and his black haired companion.

Flashback

He was currently in the marketplace with his mother and Mikasa. They had came here to stock up on meat for a special dinner they were hosting with the Arlerts.

"Eren, Mikasa, could you possibly go and get what's on this list while I get the meat?" his mother asked.

He couldn't help but groan.

"Do I have to?" he asked in annoyance.

The silent glare he got from his mother was all he needed to know.

"I-i mean sure!" he told her with a bead of sweat on his forehead.

"Come on Eren" Mikasa told him blankly as she grabbed the list from their mother.

After they had got the list of ingredients they had searched for their mother through the bustling crowd.

"AH!"

The familiar yell of their mother was all they needed to run towards the source. They caught sight of a kid stealing their mother bags in clear daylight. Within a second Eren chased after the boy, and quickly caught up to him.

"Gotcha!" Eren yelled as he tackled the boy to the ground.

Groceries spilled all over the concrete street as the thief's body hit the floor.

He was about to punch him but was stopped by Mikasa.

"Oi! What the hell Mikasa?" he asked in frustration.

"Eren, look at the boy."

Looking him over Eren frowned. He was around their age, but unlike them he was way to skinny for it to be healthy. That still didn't stop the urge to bash the kids skull in for trying to mess with his mother.

"So!?" he spat out.

Opening her mouth the speak she was beat to it when Carla made her way onto the scene.

"Eren leave the boy alone." she told her son.

"But-"

"No buts!" she hissed.

Closing his mouth he looked back at the boy. 'Lucky bastard' he thought.

"Come Eren. We're going home." she told her son as she started leaving.

Mikasa grabbed Eren off the boy and started following her mother. However, as she turned around to glance at the boy she was surprised when she saw a genuine smile with the word 'thanks' being muttered to her.

She thought nothing of it during that time, but to the blond it meant the world to him.

It was late at night and a special dinner was being served in Grisha's honor. He had been able to advance the medical field department yet again with his unrivaled knowledge. Receiving praise from nobles in Wall Sina herself.

It was a wonderful time but a certain child was clearly out of it. That being Eren Jaeger. Where he would be ramming all the food down his windpipe and be chatting away about everything he did today to his father, he was now seemingly poking with his food clearly lost in his thoughts.

"Eren what's wrong?" Eren's father asked.

Stopping his train of thought he looked up at his father with curious eyes.

"What's up with that blond skinny kid? I always see him around but it's like he has nowhere else to be."

Silence ensured the table as the adults looked at one another. Clearing his throat Grisha spoke, "Well Eren, you can call 'Naruto' the social outcast of Shiganshina. No one knows how the rumors about him started, but he actually has no place to go."

"Naruto? His name sounds oriental…"

"He might be. The only thing we know about him was that he was found in a house all alone begging for his mother and father. Ever since then he's lived on the streets." his father told him.

"What happened to him before?" surprisingly it was Mikasa who asked the question.

"We…. we don't know. There's no records of Naruto, so some people think he's a titan in disguise from outside the walls. Other think that he's some otherworldly been sent down here to live his life in hell. The only thing i'm certain of is that he's a broken boy. A boy without a family or anyone to love him."

"Come on Grisha don't you think you're over exaggerating a little?" Armin's grandfather asked. A clear undertone message towards the older Jaeger.

Silence followed through the table. Talking about the outcast of Shiganshina was always a mood killer. However two kids were in constant thought.

Flashback End

After that they had tried to solve the mystery of Naruto, and than they just simply forgot about the blond all in general. Whenever they did spot him and tried to approach him there was always a mob of people that surrounded him, and than someone who noticed them would tell them to scram. So they did.

Naruto thought back on that memory with the encounter with the Jaegers and the black haired girl. He wouldn't lie, but in that brief gesture of kindness, be it pity or whatever else, he felt thankful towards the girl.

Leaning his head back to rest he looked up at the orange sky that stretched as far as the eye could see. Closing his eyes he was left with one thought before he drifted off to sleep.

Orange… such a beautiful color.

* * *

 **Alright there it is. The first chapter of my first story on this site. I would like to hear your guys thoughts on what I have so far, and i'm trying to not reveal as much as possible and get the reader thinking. Hopefully I achieved that, but only you guys can tell me. I know the last parts may have been a bit confusing with the switching of Naruto's and Eren's perspectives (and a tiny bit of Mikasa's) but like I said again that's up for you guys. Chakra and all that other stuff will come later, and hopefully you guys like what I have in mind. Please review!**


	2. Dreams and Stars

The bustling courtyard of the food warehouse was even more packed than the boat. It might have been because all the boat refugees were dropped here, or because of the certain area he was in.

We can find our blond protagonist side by side the blond kid that Eren was with. Next to him was what he assumed grandfather. He would occasionally take glances at him but he didn't mind.

He was currently waiting in line to get his and Shisui's piece of bread, and it was taking an insanely long time. The line stretched throughout the whole courtyard, and even than people still attempted to sneak their way in.

Did he care though? No, he didn't. As long as he could get something to eat he could say he would be 'happy'.

Finally making it to the front he approached the Garrison member who was handing it out. At first glance the man seemed to be annoyed of having to share his food to the refugees, but as he took a closer look at him his eyes took a form of pity. From hunger or the fact that a child had to witness the titans attack he wasn't sure.

Masking a smile he looked up at the man with a twinkle in his eye, "A-anoue mister… I have a brother too but he's extremely sick… do you think I can get an extra one?" he asked with an innocent yet broken voice.

It seemed to work when instead of an extra loaf of bread he gave him two. Looking at it seemingly surprised he looked up at the man one last time, "Thank you mister! You're a true hero!" he chirped with the most joyous voice he could muster.

Leaving the line he started slowly making his way the small area him and Shisui had claimed for themselves.

Passing by he could already see a fight about to stir.

"Hey! Don't cut in line you bastard!"

"Shut up! I haven't eaten anything since last night!"

Looking at the scene ahead he couldn't help but let off a scoff.

' _Try not eating for a couple days'_

Returning to where he was originally planning to go, his eyes spotted Eren and the black haired girl that had saved him twice already. They seemed to be talking with the blond haired boy that was next to him in line.

"I'm sorry guys, the guy didn't believe us and only gave us two."

"Y-you're kidding right, Armin?" Eren asked in disbelief.

Putting his head down, Armin shook his head in disappointment. It looked like they weren't even going to survive the first day.

"Oi, stupid" a somewhat familiar voice caught the groups attention. Looking at the source they were met with unhealthy pale skin covered in all sorts of grime.

Knowing the insult of aimed towards him, Eren couldn't help but grit his teeth.

' _This kid again'_ he thought with distaste.

He was about to open his mouth to yell at the kid but the sudden tose of two loaves of bread caught him off guard. Catching it in a frenzy he looked at the loaves with stars in his eyes.

"This isn't the first time i've starved and I doubt it'll be the last," he told them before turning around. Glancing at Eren he decided to throw one more snide remark, "and I really don't want to be woken up by your cries of hunger." He didn't know why but he enjoyed making the emerald eye boy angry. It was a strange feeling really.

Realizing the hidden meaning behind his words he was about to yell at the boy, "What the hell does that mean!" he asked pointing an accusing finger at him.

Turning his face so they couldn't see he smiled.

"Eh, you know" he told him before making his way off to Shisui. He had to tell him he was only able to get one loaf and that he could have it.

"Weird kid…" Armin muttered.

"Can you blame him?" Mikasa asked out loud.

They all looked at the boys retreating form. A spark that had long gone out, rekindled inside them.

"Tch"

Diverting their attention to the sound of the noise a Garrison member looked at them in frustration before leaving.

"What's his problem?" Eren asked.

"There's nothing we can do… I don't think there's enough food for everyone… we're lucky Naruto decided to give us some or you two wouldn't have eaten all day."

His words seemed to move Eren as he looked down at the bread he was given. Naruto's words resounded through his head.

' _This isn't the first time i've starved and I doubt it'll be the last'_

Just what had Naruto already gone through. Wasn't he just an outcast? That wouldn't mean he would starve, and then there's always the orphanage that took care of him.

"There's to many refugees, and not enough food to go around. You know the farther out you live, the less they care, right?" asked Armin.

"Than we should thank him." Mikasa spoke out of nowhere, still looking at the direction Naruto left in, "You saw the condition he was in. He could have easily eaten that food for himself, and gained more out of it than we ever would."

It was harsh but true.

"Why do we have to share our food with outsiders?" the same Garrison member from before asked his friend rather loudly for all to hear.

All heads turned to the man in anticipation, "If the titans were breaking through anyway, they should have eaten more, so there'd be fewer mouths to feed!"

His words seemed to shock all who were listening. A look of rage disbelief flashed through Eren's face before turning into one of anger.

' _This guy!'_ he thought through gritted teeth. He was someone he would beat the absolute shit out off. Taking a few steps forwards he could hear Armin calling for him, however he chose to ignore it.

Putting his hands on his hips the soldier looked around quite arrogantly, "Now there's just that much less food."

It seemed to break the straw as Eren kicked the man straight in the shin. The man yelled due to the surprised pain before looking at the cause of it. There standing in front of him was a green eyed boy with brown hair with the most nastiest snarl on his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing brat?!" he yelled as he proceeded to punch him.

His partner followed up through by kicking the kid straight to the floor.

It had caused quite a stir in the crowd as all eyes laid on them. After all seeing the soldiers that have been sworn to protect you beat up a child wasn't something you saw everyday.

Laying their with the fiercest look he could muster he let his anger take over him, "You have no idea! You've never seen it!" Closing his eyes, images of his mother's death appeared before him as tears came rolling down his cheeks one after another. Snapping his eyes open he continued, "You've never seen the way they eat people!"

Looking around the soldier realized the attention they were getting. Sweat appeared on the man's forehead as he realized he needed to end this, "S-shut up!" he yelled as he approached the down child.

"I'm sorry!" Armin yelled as he stepped in front of the soldier. He needed to stop this before either Eren or this guy did anything they would regret.

"He's upset because he's hungry. That's why he's being so rude to an adult. I-i'm really sorry." he apologized with a bow.

The crowd seemed to take the children's side as whispers about the Garrison soldier started.

The man looked around in a sweat realized he couldn't stop this from ruining his image.

"Jeez… the only reason you're not starving is because of us, got it?" he yelled with a voice of authority. Turning around the man started leaving the scene, "But even a kid should show some gratitude!"

"Yes sir!" Armin yelled enthusiastically.

 **With Naruto**

Someone had taken their spot. A pregnant woman with two other kids. Their spot was quite comfortable since it was in the corner of the room with a window right next to it. Although he didn't quite care about that. His eyes laid intently watching the pregnant woman. She seemed… familiar.

 _Flashback_

 _He was running down the street with some playmates he had made. They were currently playing tag and he couldn't help but feel happy for himself. Was his life finally turning itself around?_

 _Shaking his head he didn't want to think about that. He wanted to stay in this moment forever._

" _Herman! Emma!" a motherly voice yelled out towards the two children he was playing with._

 _The two ran towards their mother to see what she wanted._

" _There you two are. I've been looking all over for you." she told them as she enveloped them in a hug._

 _His mother used to do that to him._

" _Sorry mom." the boy said sheepishly, "But look! We made a new friend!" he chirped while pointing at Naruto._

" _You did! That's wonderful!" she told him before seeing just exactly who it was._

 _Their eyes met and her smile dropped instantly. A look of pure rage twinkled in her eyes._

" _Herman, Emma, go home right now" she gushed her children._

" _But mom" the boy whined._

" _Herman! I don't want to see you associating yourself with that boy any longer!" the two nodded before they looked back at Naruto. They started following their mother as she left the scene._

 _Just like that his life returned to a living hell._

 _Flashback End_

Closing his eyes he let out a sigh. A hand was placed on his shoulder, and when he looked to see who it was it was Shisui with the proudest smile on his face.

Frowning to himself he looked at the one loaf of bread he had before offering it to Shisui, "Here, I gave the other two to some kids."

"I know."

' _What?'_

"I found us another place we can sleep in. It's not that big of a deal. After all look at how happy that family looks." He said pointing towards them.

Glancing at the family it was true. Smiles were plastered on their faces as the husband had came back with bread for them all. They were one of the lucky ones. Making it out with all of their family.

Having a _family._

Noticing the look in his eyes Shisui ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry about it Naruto. You got me!" he told him with his fingers pushing his mouth up in a smile.

Looking at him he couldn't help but feel an upwards twitch in his lip.

"Now come one, let's get out of here."

 **Later**

"You gotta be kidding me" both Eren and Naruto spoke with some sort of disbelief in their voice.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Eren.

"Our spot got taken by some family so here we are" Naruto exclaimed with his arms gesturing to his surroundings.

"Our?" Armin asked out loud only seeing one person.

"Yeah me and…." however his voice died down when he realized Shisui wasn't with him. "Well anyway deal with it." he retorted with a blank look towards Eren.

A silence ensured as the two boys stared at each other intensely. Neither making a move.

"Ow,ow,ow! What the hell Mikasa?" Eren yelled as Mikasa let go of his ear.

"Remember what I said earlier?" She asked stoically.

"Tch, I don't need food from people like him."

Raising an eyebrow at the interaction between the two, he waited silently to the side.

"Eren we talked about this." the stoic girl spoke.

"No Mikasa! So what if i'm weak right now! I'll get stronger and stronger and kill every single last titan on this world!"

Opening her mouth to speak, Naruto beat her to it.

"Are you stupid? With a mindset like that you're not even gonna make through training camp." His voice resounded as the boy looked at him with anger. Smirking at the boys rising anger he continued, "Ooooo look, i'm Eren, fear me as I yell my problems at every single titan I come across, and kill them with my sheer boredom alone." he spoke as he did an imitation of Eren's voice while striking a pose.

In seconds Eren charged at the boy and pinned him to the ground.

"Say it again!" he yelled as he cocked his fist back, "This time Mikasa's not gonna stop me!"

"You won't" Naruto told him blankly.

Eren's eyes seemed to strain at his comment as he delivered punch after punch. Blood spilled from the cuts that he had gained from Erens barrage.

"Eren!" Mikasa yelled as she punched the boy off him, "What is wrong with you!"

"Whats wrong with me? What's wrong with this kid! He acts all high and mighty when in reality he's just like the rest of us?!" he yelled while pointing a finger at Naruto's bleeding form, "Look at him! Where's your smart-ass remarks now fox boy?!"

"Better than telling myself hopeless lies" he remarked as he slowly got up.

Looking at Eren his eyes seemed to be solely focused on him and him only. His face was cut and bruised. It wasn't the first time he had gotten a beating to this extent.

"What the hell are you trying to prove by mocking me?! Just what is your problem with me?!" Eren asked after his anger subsided a little.

It was true that Naruto loved making Eren mad, but there was just something about his little speech that irked him. He was basically throwing away everything he had for some stupid revenge. Envious he was. Instead of cherishing the people he had in his life after losing some; he wanted to go out there and repeat the cycle again.

Putting on the same smirk he had put on when he was on the boat. He smiled as he looked at Eren's direction, "Sorry about that, I didn't know what I even said before it was to late."

Shock was the expression of all three of the children. However, it seemed like Eren broke out of that state first as anger arouse inside him. He hated that damn fake show of sympathy the blond had put up!

"You bastard!" he yelled as he rushed towards the blond boy with his fist ready to release.

As Eren's fist connected to the side of his skull, time seemed to slow down. Slowly closing his eyelids he was able to see one last glance of beautiful dark raven hair running towards the two.

* * *

"Come on Naru-chan" a motherly voice whispered to him.

Looking for the source he found a small light in the direction.

"Hurry Naruto!" this time it was a masculine voice.

Turning around he was met with two distorted figures. He felt that he should have known he they were but he didn't. The two should have been giving off nothing but warmth and love and yet…. and yet this cold feeling as if a knife had struck his heart was the only sort of 'warmth' he was receiving.

This wasn't right.

"It's too late... " a hushed voice whispered to him.

Trying to find the voice it all went black. No feeling in his limbs as if he was drifting through an eternal abyss. There was nothing in site. Just what exactly was this?

* * *

Jolting awake the only thing he could focus on was his heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat that seemed to be beating a mile a second. What the hell was that? He had never had any sort of dreams before in fact he never dreamed at all.

Taking in deep breaths he took in his surroundings. He was in the same food storage area as he remembered, and it was clearly late at night. The black haired girl Mikasa if he remembered slept peacefully next to him.

"Cute" he unknowingly thought out loud.

Next to the girl was Armin if he remembered correctly, and finally the slayer himself at the far end.

Getting up he was going to go refresh himself.

He never noticed the two black eyes that were awake the entire time.

 **Courtyard**

He was back here again. Where it was once bustling with refugees it now only had one mere child. Crickets chirped through the entire blissful night and guards sometimes patrolled through the halls.

He was currently pulling up the rope that was attached to the bucket in the well. After struggling for a while he eventually got the bucket all the way up. Grabbing it, he rested the base on the well while supporting it's balance with his hands.

Looking into the clear water he saw a reflection of himself. Grime covered his whisker like marks which his mother used to always pamper him about. Taking a sip of the water he placed it back down, but was surprised to see Shisui in the reflection as well.

Dropping the bucket out of shock he fell to the floor.

"S-shisui don't scare me like that you idiot." whispered Naruto to not wake any of the hundreds of refugees here.

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly he crouched down to match the boys height.

"Sorry about that" he answered with a smile.

Looking at the teen he couldn't help but question him, "Where were you?"

Smiling at him he ruffled his hair before answering, "Hiding"

A blank stare was all he got, "Hiding?" he asked a bit skeptical about his answer.

"Mhm, hiding"

"Man Shisui, you sure are weird." he spoke as he got up and made his way towards the spilled bucket.

' _Yeah… I guess we are weirdos'_ he thought while looking at the boy. Standing up he went to go help Naruto but the boy refused it.

"I got it."

"You sure?" he asked a bit unsure about the boys physical strength to lift a full bucket of water from such a height, "You know, you sound like that Eren kid with that attitude."

"What?" he asked to make sure he heard him right.

"You know, trying to do things all by yourself when you could let others help you. It's a good trait but you should know your limits." He spoke cheerfully trying not to make the atmosphere tense.

"Did you just compare me to that loud mouth Eren?" Naruto asked a bit shocked from what he was hearing.

"No, but don't you think you were a bit to harsh on the kid?" Shisui asked him with a hint of curiosity.

"No" he told him blankly.

"Oh come on, don't be like that Naruto."

"Be like what, myself?" he remarked faster than Shisui could find an answer.

' _Damn blonds and being so perceptive'_

"My point is Naruto you should take in everyone's point of view. The kid lost his mom and dad, of course he would want to kill those bastards. Weren't you the same?" Shisui asked as he leaned himself on the well with his arms crossed.

Blue eyes widened at his remark.

"How did you know that?" he asked in a depressed tone.

Surprisingly someone else answered.

"How did I know what?" a soft yet stoic voice resounded through his ears.

Turning around he was quite shocked to see Mikasa stopping yards away from him with… with Shisui nowhere in sight.

Looking at the girl how had saved him twice from Eren's barrage he looked her over. She had the most beautiful raven hair he had ever seen, and eyes that seemed that you were looking at the night sky itself. She had on a knee-length white dress, a light cardigan, and a black scarf that seemed to be around her at all times.

"What?" he blurted out.

She didn't seem amused if the blank look on her face was anything to go by.

"Do you need some help?" she made it sound more of a statement than a question.

He opened his mouth to deny it but Shisui's words resounded within his mind, ' _You know, trying to do things all by yourself when you could let others help you. It's a good trait but you should know your limits'_

"You know what, sure." he answered with a hint of emotion.

Slightly smiling at his acceptance she was somewhat relieved he wasn't like Eren. Not that she wouldn't mind, but one Eren was enough for her.

They both picked up the bucket and tied it to the rope before slowly letting it descend. A peaceful silence between the two.

"So," Mikasa started, "what woke you up?" she asked stoically.

Glancing at the girl he had some doubt about her being awake beforehand.

"Were you awake?" He asked dodging the question.

She seemed to see what he was doing if the narrowing of her eyes was anything to go by, "What woke you up?" she asked again in the same tone.

Sighing to himself he would have rubbed his temples if it wasn't for his hands being preoccupied.

"Bad dream" he told her bluntly.

"What kind of dream?" she asked in the same stoic tone.

He looked at her directly with one of his eyebrows raised, "A… bad one?"

Looking at him she could already tell why Eren didn't like Naruto. He dodges question while trying to find some of his own. However, unlike Eren she slightly smiled at the boys remark.

"Oh so you do show some other form of emotion except that stoic face" he teased.

Noticing her smile she instantly killed it before looking at the boy, "At least I don't call people cute when they're sleeping."

"W-what! You were awake for that?" he asked shocked at the revelation, "So you were awake!" he yelled as he let go of the rope that he was holding.

 _ **PLOP**_

Both children looked down in the well and realized the bucket was full submerged in water.

"Oops" he muttered to himself.

Looking at the girl she was luckily holding the end of the rope.

"Hey! What are you kids doing!" a guard from the second floor yelled down at them.

Both kids looked at the guard. Mikasa was about to open her mouth to explain the situation, but Naruto opened his first, "Sorry sir! We were thirsty, and thought it was ok for us to get some here. We haven't drinked any water in days sir!" he yelled respectfully at the guard.

However, where the guard believe it Mikasa could see it clearly. The tone, the muscle movements, and the twitches of his body. It was all a mask to get what he wanted. He was using the victim card of a child who desperately needed a sip of water. Not only that but, he had lied to the guard for him to lower his guard even more.

"Well, hurry it up. By the next round I don't want to see you two here, got it!"

"Yes sir!" Naruto yelled with a fake salute.

The guard nodded before proceeding to return to his shift.

Going to Mikasa's side he grabbed the rope that was in her hand, and started pulling it with some difficulty. She looked at the boy wanting to know something, "You lied to that guard."

"I got us water." he replied casually, throwing the conversation in a different direction.

She once again gave him a blank stare, however when he turned to her she received one back.

"Why do you get Eren mad so much?" she asked as she returned to their task.

"Your boyfriend?" he asked bluntly.

She almost spat out her saliva at his words. A major blush crept on her cheeks as she buried her face in the scarf she had received from Eren. It was true she was attached to Eren, but she didn't have feelings for him that way. She was his older sister, and he was her younger brother.

"H-he's my brother you idiot." she told him with a stutter.

"Hm, would have never guessed" he replied with a fake thoughtful expression.

Finally they had managed to get the bucket filled with water all the way up. Tying the rope, so it wouldn't have a risk of falling again, Naruto slid his back down against the well wall. Mikasa seemingly following as they sat there in silence with the bucket in front of them.

Looking up at the stars was always a hobby he actually enjoyed. He would always fantasize of leaving this place and going somewhere far away. A place where he could be all alone with no one to bother him. Somewhere where he could feast upon every day, and animals that would play with him all day long. No humans… titans… or even monsters. Just him.

Reaching in his shirt for his necklace he took it out, and aligned it with the Sirius A star or as he liked to call it, the dog star.

"What are you doing?" asked Mikasa with slight curiosity.

"I'm looking at the star through my necklace." he replied as if it was an obvious fact. Which… it was.

Silence ensured as both the children looked at the starry night sky.

"You know, my mother taught me that the north star isn't actually the brightest." he started with some form of emotion in his voice.

"What?" Mikasa asked confusedly.

"Yeah, it's actually the star i'm looking at right now" he told her as he pointed to it.

Looking at the direction he was pointing it was true. The star seemed to outshine the others by tenfold.

"She also told me that in those stars there's also planets like ours." he started as he extended his palm outward. It was if he was attempting to grab them, "And that means there's even more beyond the simple walls. There's a whole universe waiting to be explored." he spoke with such passion that she couldn't help but listen.

It was a fun thought to play around with.

He turned to her as they gazed into one another's eyes. Each holding the stars that compassed their world.

' _Pretty'_ the two thought while looking at one another.

It was a nice feeling he had bubbling inside. Somehow his face felt naked and relaxed from not having to wear a mask. Was this how being fully human felt like?

The masks the two wore, slipped away. A smile tugged it's way on their cheeks as they sat their in a peaceful silence watching the night sky.

"Say, what's your dream in life Mikasa?" He asked heartily for the first time in forever.

Looking at the boy with the eyes of stars she turned to look at the scarf Eren had given her. Closing her eyes memories of Carla's last wish for her came to mind. This world was a cruel place, and she had a feeling Naruto already knew that.

"I want to protect my family." she spoke in all seriousness.

Still staring at the sky he kept the sincere smile on his face. It was nothing like the one he gave Eren. "That's a nice goal."

"What about you?" she asked in curiosity.

"Me?' he asked with a puzzled look as he turned to her.

Nodding he closed his eyes to think.

"Well… I don't really have one. I'm always so focused on trying to survive the day I never thought of what tomorrow would become."

It was a sad statement and both of them knew it. She decided not to comment on it in respect of his personal life. Although one question had plagued her mind this entire time.

"Is this another mask of yours?" she asked in all seriousness.

Turning to her the most lifeless dull blue eyes stared back at her. It was quite a shock seeing eyes that once seemed to be the blue sky filled with stars reduced to such a sorry state.

"Sometime…. I'm not even sure myself" he told her in all honesty.

They stayed their in silence bot pondering what his words actually meant.

"God… look at me… i'm only 10 and i'm already having an identity crisis." he spoke in a somewhat humorous mood.

However, she stared at him. Just how far had he lost his humanity?

Picking up the bucket there was some difficulty, but luckily Mikasa supported the bottom of it before he accidentally spilled it. Taking a long refreshing sip he popped his lips in satisfaction.

"Ahhh, so much better. You want some?"

Nodding lightly they repeated the same process as before, but instead this time Mikasa was holding the sides of it. Taking a small sip she placed the bucket down in between them.

A silence followed once again.

"We're the same aren't we?" Mikasa asked all of a sudden.

Turning to her a confused look was evident on his face.

"You know the world is a cruel place too. In fact you lived your most of your life at the bottom of humanity, yet you still act as if everything's ok. Like you deserve it. I don't know what had caused that, but you remind me of what I could have been if I didn't have the Yeagers."

She spoke with such sincereness and honesty that Naruto couldn't help but reminisce. His parents had hidden him from the horrors of this world, and that had been his downfall. He was forced to learn lessons the hard way, and at the end it had shaped him into this.

Looking at the girl directly he only had one question for her, "Just what exactly are you trying to do here?"

"I'm trying to save you."

* * *

 **There is chapter two. This came out way earlier than expected (mostly because I had free time on my hands with nothing else to do). I know it's still a bit to early but I would like to thank everyone for following, favoriting, or reviewing. It means a lot because it not only motivated me to write, but it's nice knowing I have an amazing audience. I'm just gonna answer some simple questions that hopefully won't give to much away, and if it comes as a big shocker that it's a NarutoxMikasa pairing after reading this chapter. Than sorry for spoiling. And for the love of god it's not going to be a harem. I always had a distaste towards those. Another thing is everything will be explained eventually, and if it's not than it must have slipped my mind. If you read it closely you would realize that Naruto's tones or moods might not match his character. That was done on purpose and at the same time accidental. That is for you to find out or theorize about. Thanks for reading! I would love to hear the theories you guys come up with in the reviews, and feedback is very much appreciated!**


	3. Growth

Floating in the same dark abyss as before, Naruto's eyes laid on one thing and only one thing only. A blue caterpillar with black stripes, trudge along his hand. It was one of the last things he expected when he had opened his eyes; only to find out he was back here.

Dull blue eyes looked at it as if he was expecting pain to course throughout his hand. However, he was pleasantly surprised when it seemingly looked up at him in curiosity. Tilting its head it couldn't look even more lost.

"Whatcha doing in a place like this lil-buddy?" he asked the slimy little thing.

Waiting a couple of seconds he dead panned to himself.

' _Am I really asking a insect what it's doing here?'_

He looked back at it, and seemed to answer his own question.

' _Stupid, just where the hell am I anyway?'_

Briefly looking around he saw absolutely nothing. No bright light, no objects, no weird voices speaking to him, and absolutely nothing else but hi-

"Oh wait, I got this guy with me", he blurted as he raised his hand to get a closer view of the poor thing.

On further inspection it seemed to be…. Pulsing?

Moving closer to it he could have sworn he heard a sweet gentle voice. A voice he had recently grown familiar with.

' _I'm trying to save you'_ , Mikasa's words resounded in his mind. The sound was unintelligible, but he had a strong feeling it was the words spoken to him by Mikasa.

"Naruto" a voice resounded through the abyss.

Looking around frantically for the source he wasn't able to find it.

"Naruto"

Turning his head to look around one last time he let out a sigh.

"Naruto"

Shutting his eyes he took in a deep breath, and when he released it he wanted to wake up.

/

"Naruto"

Slightly opening his eyes and closing them he was able to make out Mikasa, stoically standing over him.

"Come on Naruto" she asked once more trying to wake him.

He turned to his side before using his hands as a makeshift pillow.

"Mmmm, do I have to?" he asked with his eyes shut, and the most uncaring tone in the world.

"If you want to stay on this side of the wall."

"What?" he asked while perking up.

That seemed to get his attention.

"They're sending all the people from Wall Maria out to plow the farmlands-", however, before she could explain he seemingly cut her off, already knowing where this was going.

"-because the food is running short." Letting out a sigh he rubbed his temples, "Honesty as long as I get food I don't care what our stupid government does." he spoke passively.

Getting up he dusted himself before looking around.

"Where's Eren, and ummm…. Sean?" he asked a bit unsure of his answer.

"Armin" she quickly corrected him.

"Right, where's Eren and Armin?" he asked again. This time with the same blank expression he always wore.

"They're waiting for us by the gate." she told him nonchalantly.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you Mikasa. Waiting for your prince in distress. It warms my heart." he mocked as he put his hand over his heart in an over exaggerated gesture.

Mikasa did not seem amused.

He flashed her a apologetic look, but if she noticed it, she showed no signs of recognition. Making their way towards the gates there was a lot of carriages. Like a lot. Garrison members surrounded the place, some as guards for those trying to escape from work, and some taking the migrants names.

There were lines everywhere clearly waiting to get on one of the carts to start working for humanity. He just wondered how exactly the government was going to just magically gain so much food in such a short amount of time.

Turning to where Mikasa was he was somewhat surprised to see she wasn't there. Looking around for her proved to be of no use in the dense populated crowd.

' _Great now I lost them.'_

Deciding that he'd find them later; he snuck into one of the lines. Hopefully, no one from the Shiganshina District spotted him or else his hell might as well be repeated all over again. Finally making it to the front of the line, after who knows how long, he looked up at the Garrison member with the board.

The man held a blank face; clearly bored of his monotones task.

"Name?", the soldier asked clearly uninterested in what he was doing.

"Naruto." he replied blankly.

Something seemed to catch the guards attention if the questioning glance was anything to go by.

"Just Naruto. No last name."

The guard nodded before letting him on.

Sitting down in the cramped space was uncomfortable, but he could manage. There seemed to be barely anymore space left.

"You're clear to go!" a Garrison member yelled at the rider.

Whipping his reins the carts started moving with the constant noise of horses hooves hitting the concrete floor.

Closing his eyes he decided to get a bit more sleep.

 **With Eren**

"Damn it where the hell did that blondy go." Eren's frustrated voice could be heard.

He was currently looking around for Naruto. Why you may wonder? Mikasa had 'asked' him to.

' _More like demanded'_ he thought with a sweat drop.

After he had knocked the living daylights out of Naruto, it was a very short lived victory from what followed up next. Touching his eye he wasn't the only one who was in utter shock when Mikasa had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and punched him straight in the eye.

It was not a pleasant moment, but afterwards she had lectured him about his wrong doings. Did he feel guilty? Slightly. However, when he saw Naruto's body hit the floor unconscious, he couldn't deny the slight gratification from doing that.

Here he was, now looking for the very boy he had knocked out. Of course he was also going to 'apologize', but not because he wanted to.

Sighing, there was no hope of finding him in this crowd. He was going to go back to their dubbed 'meeting point', which in reality was whichever part of the line Armin's grandfather was in.

Turning on his heel he started trekking his way there.

Seeing the familiar tattered light brown hat, his best friends grandfather always wore he couldn't help but think of what the old man knew of Naruto.

' _I wonder what Armin's grandfather knows about Naruto? I mean if he has outside knowledge surely he knows something about an orphaned kid.'_

Squeezing through some people he found his best friend and Mikasa there waiting for him.

"Did you find him?" Mikasa asked which surprised the two of the interest she had in the boy.

Shaking his head, a frown graced her face, however she hid it by burying half her face in her scarf.

"Ah don't worry" a gruff voice grabbed their attention, "That boy knows how to take care of himself." Armin's grandfather reassured them.

A twinkle seemed to appear in Mikasa's eye for a split second before reverting back into her stone-cold face.

"Say gramps" Eren started, "What do you know about Naruto anyway? Isn't he just an orphan?"

A sad look crossed the old man's face. He didn't exactly know how to tell them the horrors that child had faced already at such a young age. Looking at the three children before them; he realized that they hadn't exactly had a perfect life either.

All of their parents were presumably dead, and two of them had even witnessed it happen. Not only that but they had to watch as the titans….

"There's really not much else to say. You were all there when Grisha spoke of the boy. Although I recall an experience I had with him."

"Really?" the three children asked simultaneously. All eager to hear the story the old man had in store.

"Yes, it's a sad one really. Not one you would tell kids." he mumbled somberly.

Throwing his fist up Eren held the most determined look on his face, "Come on old man! From what we've been through it can't be that bad."

Looking at the three gravely he let out a sigh.

/

The soothing sound of rain hitting against a window resounded through the Arlet household. If one were to look closer they could see a reflection of a man's face with a light next to him.

Glancing around the household he leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. Armin was deep asleep, and he doubted the young boy would wake up this late in the night. Luckily for him it was raining and thundering, for his young grandson was afraid of the loud booming noises the sky made.

Stretching his arms lightly he failed at suppressing the yawn he was holding. Relaxing his face against the palm of his hand he looked back out the window. Squinting his eyes he could make out what seemed to be a child running for its life.

' _In this weather at this time?'_ he wondered to himself.

Just what exactly was that kid doing. Yawing once more, he stood up and stretched himself. Deciding to take one last glance before going to bed.

 _ **KNOCK KNOCK**_

Turning towards the door he was somewhat surprised to have a visitor at this time. Approaching the door slowly, the floorboards creaked with every step he took. Grabbing the hand knob he lightly opened the door; only leaving enough room for him to peak outside.

"Hello?" he asked in a friendly manner.

"Yes we were wondering if you saw a kid pass by here?" the mans gruff voice spoke through the pouring rain.

Opening the door a bit further for his head to be fully visible. The light of the inside of the house illuminated the two men. They seemed to be somewhat out of breath and their clothes were drenched and dirty.

"Not that i'm aware of." he replied politely.

The two men shared a glance before turning back to him, "Sorry to bother you sir. Have a great night." the same one responded respectfully.

"You too gentlemen."

Closing the door, he immediately heard the splash of footsteps hitting puddles.

 **The Next Morning**

Walking the streets of Shiganshina was something he always enjoyed doing. Especially when stores started to open up, and the morning breeze danced through his hairs.

Turning a corner he couldn't help but notice the rather large crowd surrounding an alleyway. Approaching it he already started hearing murmurs and mutterings.

"Isn't that 'him'?"

"Yeah, I think it is."

"They really let a brat like that in here?"

Confused by the commotion he squeezed his way through the crowd before getting to the person of interest.

Immediately he gasped and clapped his hand against his mouth. He had to resist the urge to vomit all over the floor from the sight.

In the alley a kid who looked no more than six, laid bloodied and bruised. Hair that seemed to be gold itself; was ruined by crusts of red. Cuts covered the boys body, and a knife embedded in where his left lung was located could be found.

The boy moved his head slightly before facing where the crowd was. When the boy opened his eyes his froze. He wasn't sure what had caused it, either from the shock in the state the boy was in, or the fact that when he opened them a small unnoticeable fire was found. Almost like a kindled fire in a frozen tundra.

He smiled, and waited patiently. The boy clearly thought that they were going to help him, but as more and more people started to leave. The less and less the fire was noticeable. He didn't know how much time had passed, but at the end he was the only person left watching over the boy.

"Anoue, mister… could you help me?" the child innocently asked.

Turning around he started making his way home.

Never noticing only the tiniest of flames in the harshness of winds laying over the thickest of ice, all over the blackest of waters.

/

"I've regretted it ever since." he uttered in shame.

Looking at the children Eren and Armin seemed to have a look of pure shock on their face, while Mikasa seemed to be intently thinking about something.

Silence fell over the group as each fell into their own individual thoughts, and before they knew it they had made it in front of the line.

Boarding the cart, Mikasa looked out as with each passing minute the scenery changed. The cool morning breeze moving her hair in a fashion that made it seem alive. Her scarf swayed along as she only had one thought on her mind.

'Just where did you go?'

/

"Oi kid, get up." a gruff voice was heard through the grassfield they were at.

Icy blue eyes, groggily opened themselves to the world. The late morning rays of sun entered his cornea causing him to cover it with his arm.

"Kid! I said to get up!" the voice this time yelled at him.

Ignoring it, he rubbed his eyes before perking up. Looking around he noticed that they were in a rather large grassfield with quite a bit of people. Nowhere near the amount at the warehouse, but still a good enough amount.

Turning to the left he noticed carts with tools being passed out to the emigrants of Wall Maria. Looking ahead he noticed there was already a somewhat paved area already made for them, so they could get plowing.

"Great" he mumbled to himself.

"Kid! I said get off!" the man practically screamed in his face. In fact, if Naruto moved his face a couple inches closer he could probably accuse the man of pedophilia.

Waving his hand in front of him, he closed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Sheesh, does your breath always smell this bad?" he asked with a hint of mickey.

The already irritated man seemed to get even angrier. With a vein seemingly about the pop, he grabbed the poor boy, and tossed him off his cart like a bag of carrots.

Tumbling a bit, he closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.

' _This is not how I expected my day to go'_ he thought while getting up.

Getting in one of the lines it was surprisingly faster than when he was at the warehouse. In no time at all he had been given a plow and a hood to cover himself incase of rain. He than fell in line as the Garrison members practically yelled at them to explain what to do.

Quite simple really. Plow the fields until they say stop, and rest only when you hear the whistle.

At the sound of the whistle the constant noise of metal hitting dirt met the migrants ears. Time passed by as he performed the monotone task of plowing. Looking around he realized that he was behind the group. Not surprising considering his stature.

Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow he continued back to work.

 _ **CLINK**_

"Wha?" was the puzzled reaction of the blond boy.

Crouching, to inspect the item he hit in the ground he found a somewhat smooth metal surface. Moving the dirt that covered it he found a strange knife laying there. It was rusted and had chipped edges. A rather old cloth wrapped around the handle of the blade.

Picking it up by the small hoop that his finger fit through he brought the item up for closer examination.

' _The hell is this?'_ he thought to himself. He had never seen what he assumed to be a knife look like this.

"Kid! Start working again, or you won't stop until dusk!"

Turning his head to face the man, he pocketed the item before continuing his 'duties'.

Dusk approached as hours passed by. Letting a sigh of relief he boarded one of the carts that had dropped them off. Leaning his head back he gazed upon the stars. For some reason they seemed dimmer compared to when he was with Mikasa.

"Thinking about your girlfriend?" a voice asked him that caught him off guard.

Whipping his head towards the source, blue met raven black, as a smile crept on the older bots face.

"Yo," he chirped happily.

Regaining his posture he looked at the older boy, there wasn't a drop of sweat on him which was strange.

"Where were you?"

"You didn't answer my question" he teased.

Pouting, he folded his arms before turning the opposite direction. Mumbling something that no one could hear.

"What? I couldn't hear you" Shisui spoke, as he put his hand on his ear and moved closer to the boy.

"I said, she's not my girlfriend… " he mumbled a bit louder.

Shisui, gained a teasing grin as he leaned back, "Aw, got your heartbroken?"

"What?" he asked confused.

"You got friendzoned, right?" Shisui asked in a sly manner.

However, Naruto seemed even more confused, "Friendzoned? What the hell is that?"

Letting out a sigh he forgot how clueless 'he' was sometimes. Afterall, he was still just a child.

"You'll understand it one day Naruto…. One day." he spoke with a brotherly smile.

However, the shorter one just looked at the raven head with confusion, "You're weird."

Those two words alone seemed to make Shisui face fault as they stayed in silence the rest of the ride.

/

This was not looking good for one Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert. They had gotten back from the fields and were already in some form of trouble. Some residence from Wall Rose was talking about how the migrants from Wall Maria, should just become titan food. Of course Eren being Eren, he ran at the guy and punched him straight in the gut.

Here they were now. Cornered in an alley after an attempted flee attempt, and of course with their luck Mikasa wasn't with them. Surprising considering she was attached to Eren like glue.

Gulping to himself, Eren steeled his nerves. He had been in worse situations, and this was no different. He didn't need Mikasa to beat these guys to a pulp.

"Back off!" he yelled at the two approaching men.

"Back off!? Why I gotta teach ya some respect ya brat!" he yelled as a sinister grin started to appear on his face, "In fact, I better make it so you have something to remember to respect yar elders you little shit." he yelled while reaching into the back of his pockets.

Eyes widening he couldn't believe what was about to happen. When the man revealed the item his heart sank to hit gut.

There in both the mens hand was a knife. It's deadly gleam shined in his eyes as with each approaching step a feeling of dread washed over him.

'T-this is it' Eren thought as he shut his eyes as hard as he could.

Armin seemed to have the same mindset if the petrified face was anything to go by. However, unlike Eren, he had his eyes wide open for the whole world to see.

It all happened in an instant. Blood gushed out of the fat man's throat as the familiar lifeless blue eyes held something that he hadn't seen before. The second man, surprised of witnessing his friend die before his eyes turned into a fit of rage.

Grabbing the petty boys head he slammed it against the wall where blood spurted out the boys head. He watched as the boy slid to the ground not caring if he was alive or dead. Turning to the other two boys he glared at them angrily.

Taking a step forward the two his mouth went agape with his eyes widening the size of saucer plates. Blood poured out of his mouth as he fell face first into the ground revealing the cause of the man's sudden change. A strange knife was plunged into his back with Naruto standing behind him.

The boy was clearly barely hanging onto consciousness.

"What?" he asked bluntly.

Opening his mouth, Eren looked at the two bodies before him. Just minutes ago these two men were willing to kill him and Armin just because of where they came from. It wasn't their fault! They had nowhere else to go because of those damn Titans!

 _ **THUD**_

Both of the boys snapped out of their daze to look at the sound of the noise. Naruto was lying face first into the ground with his small hand still gripping the strange knife.

Gulping he ran up to the boy to see if he was somewhat ok.

"Naruto!" he yelled as he crouched down and turned him over. Looking him over he had blood flowing down his forehead, and nothing else looked to severe. The only real problem was that he was out like a light.

"Eren! Armin!" the familiar feminine voice of Mikasa caught them.

They both looked at her in panic. With all three of them having the exact same thought.

' _Run'_

* * *

 **And here's chapter 3. Sorry for those who want me to get on with the story, but i'm just integrating Naruto into the story while preparing for what's ahead. Next chapter will be the start of the Training Corps Arc, and there definitely will be some small changes with Naruto and how he interacts with the three. I'm just gonna stop typing what i'm planning to do. Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on it so far!**


	4. Update

I just wanted to give a quick update on this story since it's definitely been awhile. I feel as if it's my responsibility to inform all of you what's happening even if it did take me... a couple of months. So instead of trying to come up with excuses i'm gonna be honest and say that I just went through a complete writers block with this story. (Wait a second, that's an excuse) But that's really the reason I kinda stopped with this story since I didn't know what to write, but when I looked back on it I just had that small glimpse of what I could do to get to point A,B and C. I know this is gonna suck, but as of right now i'm going to put this story on hold until I feel like I know every step of the way. However, before new chapters of this do come out i'll be rewriting the first three since I saw mistakes and room for improvement. Once again i'm really sorry for all my readers out there, but I have a certain story i'm focused on right now. I don't want to make any promises either since deadlines are the worst, and it just makes things seem rushed. If anyone wants to take the small ideas I had feel free to use them, but please let me know beforehand. I know this story wasn't big or anything, but I feel like it has the potential to be if I put all my time and effort into and that's what I want to do when I can.

I hope you all can understand, and i'm sorry if I made anyone upset with posting this.


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